Manchester United are yet to appoint their next manager but whoever's handed the keys to Old Trafford will face a double-edged decision regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s future during the transfer window.
From rebuilding the first-team squad via a cultural reboot to becoming the face of the planet's self-proclaimed biggest club, the man handed the keys to Old Trafford will also have to deal with the predicament of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Although possessing one the game's greatest ever players has rarely been a burden on a club throughout his 20-year career, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner isn't the future and the Red Devils will soon need to move on. That time might be as soon as this summer's transfer window or the next, when his contract expires.
But at what cost?
Ronaldo may be 37 and - at long last - showing signs of decline, yet United have failed to win a single Premier League game which he hasn't started since re-signing for the club back in August, drawing five and losing one.
Despite many labelling the Portuguese a 'problem' throughout the first half of United's dismal season, due to his lack of modern-day traits such as pressing, it's becoming more and more evident that Ronaldo is still vital to the Red Devils' domestic success.
To illustrate his importance, the 20-time English champions boast a points per game ratio of 1.85 from the 21 Premier League outings with him in the starting XI. In his absence, however, it's diminished to a measly 0.86.
Put simply, Ronaldo's individual brilliance has single-handedly snatched points this term. Just look at their Champions League group campaign in which the striker bagged six goals in five matches, including three game-winners, to fire his side into the knockout stages.
Indeed, it was only three weeks ago when Ronaldo hit a hat-trick to down fellow top-four chasers Tottenham Hotspur, overshadowing his under-par teammates who'd consider themselves better long-term fits at Old Trafford once the new regime begins.
But while United's next manager may want to focus on the club's younger stars over Ronaldo, shunning the goalscorer supreme in order to more easily implement a progressive style of play could come at a price, particularly in the fragile early days of their reign when the microscope is zoomed in.
While the Red Devils have won two home cup games in which Ronaldo hasn't featured - a European dead-rubber against Young Boysand an FA Cup third-round slog against Aston Villa - the Premier League, in spite of critics claiming that the ex-Real Madrid and Juventus hitman doesn't suit the division these days, has been where United have needed him most, starting all 12 of their top-flight wins since his triumphant return.
It's also been argued that Ronaldo will have the final say on his future - thanks to his superstar status within the club - a topic his former teammate, Gary Neville, recently explored. "Is Cristiano Ronaldo going to be at Manchester United at the end of the season? Will Manchester United keep him?," Neville asked on Sky Sports.
"It's not in their gift, Ronaldo made that decision [to return], he's got another year left on his contract, it's whether he wants to be here. Whether it's the 'project' that some players like to say he believes in and is enjoying. His greatness and wants his career to be enjoyable, he's demanding, he's demanding, he wants to win every game.
"Obviously there's elements he can't do, I've contributed to that in this studio. If Man United want to be a high-pressing team he's probably not your man, but it's his decision whether he stays at Manchester United, not the other way round."
Red Devils legend Roy Keane, meanwhile, reckons that United should build their team around Ronaldo, a short-term view which is seemingly at odds with the club's recruitment strategy when it comes to their new manager.
"Games like tonight [the win against Tottenham in March] will help with his decision-making," Keane explained. "As great as he is, the next challenge is to make this Manchester United team compete again for league titles, it's another story regarding the new manager and recruitment.
"But Ronaldo has a huge part to play in that and help the rebuilding of the club. You need Ronaldo in your team, he's producing like that. Has Ronaldo been at his best this season? Probably not, he's missed a number of chances but with Ronaldo in your team you have a better chance of winning football matches."
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